Last week I met with Michelle Bronner, a local attorney looking to add a master suite to her small 1950’s bungalow. Michelle was very excited to figure out how to remodel her home and increase the living space in her home, and it was a project she had been considering for a long time. She had already procured survey, and had come up with a list of project requirements.
Master Suite in a 1950s Home
She needed a true master suite, which was not how homes were designed in the 1950’s.Michelle had her dreams and goals. I asked Michelle if she had an investment goal. Clients often misunderstand this question. They think I am asking them how much THEY THINK it is going to cost. I assure them that this is our job to figure that our, withfully transparency. No, what I am asking is: how much are you willing to spend overall to achieve your goals.
Investment Goals
A friend of mine, a veteran of the remodeling industry, jokes that project costs always go one of two ways: either they cost a lot more than people expect, or they cost tremendously a lot more than people expect. There is typically truth in humor! After getting to the crux of my question, Michelle told me that her “investment goal” was $125k. I shared that that is indeed a lot of money. However, what she described to me as her wish list, based on recently completed projects, was likely higher than her goal.
But, here’s the great thing about putting our design-build team together at the very outset: by combining the expertise of both the design side and the build side, we can show Michelle all that she wants and the transparent costs, and we can also show her how to achieve her highest design priorities within her budgetary goal. We then have a truly educated homeowner who is making the right decisions for herself from a fully informed perspective. Budget goals and design goals can be harmonized!
Helping You Realize Your Remodeling Goals
At Alair Homes Decatur, our goal is always to help clients achieve their goals, but it’s also important to help them understand what it will take to achieve those goals. That’s what we did for Michelle, and it’s what we can do for you too. By working together, we can help you prioritize, recognize if taking incremental steps or completing the entire home remodel as one project is the best step and make the right design choices for your family’s needs. It’s all about communication and transparency, something we deliver every time we work with a client.
If this approach sounds like it might be the right choice for your family, contact us. Let’s sit down and discuss your goals and begin to make your dreams a reality.